Psalms 20 Study Notes: A Prayer for the King Before Battle
The people pray that God will answer, protect, and grant victory to their king in a time of trouble. A voice then declares confidence that God will rescue His chosen king, contrasting those who rely on chariots and horses with those who trust in God's name, and the psalm ends with a plea to save the king.
General
What contrast does 20:7-8 draw?
Answer: Other nations rely on armies; Israel relies on the LORD
Other peoples rely on chariots and horses, the strongest weapons of war in that time, but God's people rely on the LORD's name (20:7). The result is reversed from what you might expect: the ones with chariots fall, while God's people rise and stand (20:8). Another psalm says that trusting a war horse for victory is a false hope (Psalm 33:16-17). Proverbs says a horse may be made ready for battle, yet the victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31), and Isaiah warned against relying on horses and chariots instead of looking to God (Isaiah 31:1).
- Psalm 20:7-8 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”Others trust chariots and horses, but God's people trust His name and stand firm.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”No king is saved by his army, and a horse is a vain hope for victory.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Horses may be prepared for battle, but victory comes from the LORD.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Isaiah condemns relying on horses and chariots instead of seeking the LORD.
Theological
What contrast is drawn in 20:7-8?
Answer: Other nations rely on armies; Israel relies on the LORD
Verses 7-8 contrast two objects of trust: chariots and horses, the premier military technology of the day, versus the LORD's name. The outcome inverts appearances: the militarily strong collapse, and the people who trust God rise and stand firm. The same theology runs through Psalm 33:16-17, Proverbs 21:31, and Isaiah's woe on those who trust Egypt's horses and chariots rather than on Israel's holy God (Isaiah 31:1). Means are not forbidden, but confidence belongs to God alone.
- Psalm 20:7-8 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. They collapse and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.”Others trust chariots and horses, but God's people trust His name and stand firm.
- Psalm 33:16-17 (BSB)“No king is saved by his vast army; no warrior is delivered by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for salvation; even its great strength cannot save.”No king is saved by his army, and a horse is a vain hope for victory.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Horses may be prepared for battle, but victory comes from the LORD.
- Isaiah 31:1 (BSB)“Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in their abundance of chariots and in their multitude of horsemen. They do not look to the Holy One of Israel; they do not seek the LORD.”Isaiah condemns relying on horses and chariots instead of seeking the LORD.
General
What confidence does the speaker express in 20:6?
Answer: That God rescues and answers His anointed king
After the people pray and look forward to shouting for joy at the king's victory (20:5), a single voice speaks with new certainty (20:6). God rescues His anointed, the king He chose and set apart, and answers him from heaven with the rescuing power of His mighty hand. The confidence rests on God, not on the size of the army. Another psalm calls the LORD a saving fortress for His anointed (Psalm 28:8), and Hannah sang that God gives strength to His king and exalts His anointed (1 Samuel 2:10).
- Psalm 20:5-6 (BSB)“May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand.”The people anticipate victory, and a single voice declares confidence that God saves His anointed.
- Psalm 28:8 (BSB)“The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.”The LORD is described as a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 (BSB)“Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.””Hannah sings that God gives power to His king and exalts His anointed.
Theological
What assurance is expressed in 20:6?
Answer: That God rescues and answers His anointed king
Verse 6 marks the turning point of the psalm. The communal wishes of 20:1-5 give way to a first-person declaration of assurance that the LORD delivers His anointed, answering from His holy dwelling above with the rescuing power of His mighty hand. The ground is God's commitment to His chosen king. Psalm 28:8 calls the LORD a saving refuge for His anointed, and Hannah's song ends with God strengthening His king and exalting His anointed (1 Samuel 2:10).
- Psalm 20:5-6 (BSB)“May we shout for joy at your victory and raise a banner in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your petitions. Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed; He answers him from His holy heaven with the saving power of His right hand.”The people anticipate victory, and a single voice declares confidence that God saves His anointed.
- Psalm 28:8 (BSB)“The LORD is the strength of His people, a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.”The LORD is described as a stronghold of salvation for His anointed.
- 1 Samuel 2:10 (BSB)“Those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder from heaven against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth and will give power to His king. He will exalt the horn of His anointed.””Hannah sings that God gives power to His king and exalts His anointed.
General
In Psalm 20, who is the person the people are praying for?
Answer: The king, facing a time of trouble and battle
The people pray that God will answer and protect someone when trouble comes, send help from His sanctuary and from Zion, remember his offerings, and give him success (20:1-4). Zion is the hill in Jerusalem where God's house stood. The closing line makes clear who this is: they ask the LORD to save the king (20:9). The picture fits a king about to go into battle. King Asa prayed in just such a moment, relying on the LORD against a huge army (2 Chronicles 14:11), and Paul later urged believers to pray for rulers and everyone in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
- Psalm 20:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.”The people pray that God will answer and protect the king and help him from Zion.
- Psalm 20:9 (BSB)“O LORD, save the king. Answer us on the day we call.”The psalm closes by asking the LORD to save the king.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””King Asa cried to the LORD for help before battle against a larger army.
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (BSB)“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.”Paul urges prayers for kings and all who are in authority.
Theological
Who is the addressee of the people's intercession in Psalm 20?
Answer: The king, facing a time of trouble and battle
Verses 1-4 are a string of wishes addressed to one person: that God answer him when trouble comes, support him from the sanctuary in Zion, accept his offerings, and fulfill his plans. The final line identifies him as the king (20:9). The setting is a royal liturgy before battle, comparable to Asa's appeal in 2 Chronicles 14:11, where the king relies on the LORD against superior forces. The New Testament continues the practice of intercession for rulers (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
- Psalm 20:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.”The people pray that God will answer and protect the king and help him from Zion.
- Psalm 20:9 (BSB)“O LORD, save the king. Answer us on the day we call.”The psalm closes by asking the LORD to save the king.
- 2 Chronicles 14:11 (BSB)“Then Asa cried out to the LORD his God: “O LORD, there is no one besides You to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on You, and in Your name we have come against this multitude. O LORD, You are our God. Do not let a mere mortal prevail against You.””King Asa cried to the LORD for help before battle against a larger army.
- 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (BSB)“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone— for kings and all those in authority—so that we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.”Paul urges prayers for kings and all who are in authority.
General
Which theme returns in 20:1, 20:5, and 20:7?
Answer: The name of God as their protection
The name of God runs through the psalm. The people ask that God's name, the name of Jacob's God, would protect the king (20:1), they plan to lift a flag in God's name (20:5), and they rely on the LORD's name rather than on horses and chariots (20:7). In the Bible, God's name stands for God Himself as He has made Himself known, especially His faithfulness to His promises. God told Moses that He is the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and that this is His name forever (Exodus 3:15). Proverbs calls His name a strong tower where the righteous are safe (Proverbs 18:10), and another psalm says His name is where help is found (Psalm 124:8).
- Psalm 20:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”The people pray that the name of the God of Jacob will protect the king.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God's people trust in the name of the LORD rather than in chariots and horses.
- Exodus 3:15 (BSB)“God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, His name forever.
- Proverbs 18:10 (BSB)“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”The LORD's name is a strong tower where the righteous are safe.
- Psalm 124:8 (BSB)“Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”The psalmist confesses that help is found in the name of the LORD, the Maker of all.
Theological
What motif recurs in 20:1, 20:5, and 20:7?
Answer: The name of God as their protection
The name of God is the structural thread of the psalm: the name of Jacob's God is invoked for protection (20:1), the banner is raised in God's name (20:5), and the LORD's name is the object of trust against chariots and horses (20:7). The name denotes God Himself in His revealed, covenant character. The title naming God as Jacob's God recalls the self-disclosure of Exodus 3:15, where God names Himself the God of the patriarchs forever. Proverbs 18:10 and Psalm 124:8 express the same confidence in the name as refuge and help.
- Psalm 20:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.”The people pray that the name of the God of Jacob will protect the king.
- Psalm 20:7 (BSB)“Some trust in chariots and others in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”God's people trust in the name of the LORD rather than in chariots and horses.
- Exodus 3:15 (BSB)“God also told Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.”God reveals Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, His name forever.
- Proverbs 18:10 (BSB)“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.”The LORD's name is a strong tower where the righteous are safe.
- Psalm 124:8 (BSB)“Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.”The psalmist confesses that help is found in the name of the LORD, the Maker of all.